only -were Germany and Italy ransacked for treasures, but 

 Greece, the Levant, Egypt and even America contributed their 

 quota; from the New World notable specimens of Indian 

 curiosities were secured. Although often hampered by lack 

 of funds to meet national demands of prime importance, the 

 Emperor always found money for the purchase of the articles 

 collected by Strada and his agents. Frequent and large levies 

 were exacted by the crown from the impoverished people, 

 nominally to defray expenses of the exhausting war with the 

 Turks, and it has been suggested, perhaps unjustly, that a 

 portion of this gold was applied to the Emperor's personal 

 hobbies. No extravagance was too great provided the ends 

 were attained; absurdly high prices were paid the wiry 

 emissaries who knew how to profit by the Emperor's weak- 

 ness and credulity. 



The cabinet of curiosities and gallery of art grew very 

 rapidly, soon overflowing the great Spanish Hall, the German 

 Hall, and filling the entire floor of one wing of the huge 

 palace. The collections were frequently increased by costly 

 presents from Bohemian noblemen, foreign potentates and 

 city magnates who desired to secure the good-will of the 

 Emperor for personal or political advantage; the Elector of 

 the Palatinate contributed an exquisitely carved ivory altar ; 

 Count Fugger sent the Emperor a marble sarcophagus found 

 near Athens, ornamented with reliefs of the battle of the 

 Amazons; Count Khevenhiller, a Spanish Grandee, presented 

 to the gallery several paintings by Titian, by Pietro Rosa 

 and by Parmigianino ; and the Burgomaster of Nuremberg 

 added Holbein's valuable picture "Isaac blessing Jacob" as 

 well as Diirer's " Trinity." 



Mingled in dire confusion with superb treasures of art of 

 highest rarity and priceless value were worthless objects 

 bought in ignorance and preserved through credulity, such 



54 



